Whirlpool's Very Own
by Charli Jinchuriki
Summary: Secrets rise from the grave to haunt Konoha and the Elemental Nations for past sins brought against the former Hidden Village of Whirlpool. It all begins with Naruko Uzumaki. A shadow group calling themselves Whirlpool's Very Own, all descendants of various Whirlpool clans see Naruko as Whirlpool's hope to restore their ancestral home to glory. In Naruko Uzumaki We Trust!


Battle Scxrs

_Whirlpool's Very Own_

Prologue: The Gathering - A Legendary Beginning

… **. … . …**

In a dank undisclosed location, six shaded figures were silently taking seats around a large rectangular shaped table crafted of jagged rock just large enough to seat everyone and provide enough personal space for them. The scene was dimly lit by numerous wax candles scattered about the area, their wavering, flickering light dancing around a cavernous area surrounded by sediment and stalagmites. The natural stones embedded in the rock around them gently reflected what little light present.

The truth of the clandestine cave...it was created by burrowing deep into a select part of a mountain range far removed from most civilization in the Elemental Nations; a truly undisclosed location. It was secluded enough to allow them to meet without a second thought for being compromised, and the bit of fuinjutsu used to secure and cover the location aided to their freedom while there.

One of the group peered around at the others that, so far as he knew, were family in blood through family or clan circumstances that took place in former Uzushiogakure no Sato. An excited and confident smile filled with white teeth became present.

"It's been a long time coming hasn't it?" The inquiry made caused gazes to turn to the speaker as some seemed interested enough in the banter to alter their attention; everyone present was simply waiting for now after all. "I'm definitely turned up for the future. These are exciting, important times for us and I'm glad you're the people I get to participate in this movement with." The voice of a male announced in obvious excitement and sincerity, chuckling.

"Ah..." Another intoned with little emotion, giving a slight head nod and pushing away the hood on his head to reveal teal hair pass the shoulder with two braids at either side of the head to frame the face. "Exciting times... I suppose I have to agree with you there, Kayo-kun." Another male spoke softly in agreement although his voice didn't reflect much emotion.

"Nao-kun, damn..." A third male spoke up with sarcasm thick in his tone as he regarded the teal head. "Don't hurt yourself with all that enthusiasm. Wouldn't want you getting too worked up from excitement." He snorted at his own sarcastic remark and folded his arms over his cloaked torso; slouching back in his stone seat uncomfortably.

"Mou..." Answered a pouty feminine whine that teetered between sultry and childish. "Why do you always nitpick with Nao-sempai, Nanashi-kun?" The female's voice tuned to an odd combination of cute and playfully melancholic as she spoke up in support of one of their more laid back member's.

A lighthearted laughter echoed through the chamber carrying its own teasing lilt. "Listen to Sakaeru-chan over there little bro. I'm telling y'all that woman is crushing on Nao something fierce. She always be playing around, pouting and speaking up for that dude. I wish I got that kind of attention from such a fine kunoichi, but I guess I can't blame her. Nao is literally pretty chill with those sleepy, docile ways of his." He continued to laugh.

The voice of the first to speak initially, responded after being addressed by his older brother. "No doubt, Kei-nii-sama...no doubt." He nodded and chuckled a little, his voice sounding younger than his brother's as the form of the female in question seemed to fold her arms and cutely puffed her cheeks out at their antics from her seat. "And you two brothers pick with me too much," she pouted once more and sighed out a quiet 'hmph!'.

The younger of the two acknowledged brothers, Kayo, chuckled a little more. He cocked his head towards the opposite end of the table, jabbing his thumb towards another of their members. "I bet the almighty Tsutsuji don't like it either...seeing as how she only says one word for every day of the week. She might start thinking we're talking about her at times… Ain't that right, Almighty-chan?" He teased another woman of their lot addressing her by the nickname he'd personally given her.

Everyone's attention silently shifted to the dimly lit form of said woman. She quietly sat with her head lowered; chin relaxed against the top most part her chest area. Her arms were folded comfortably and propped her impressive bust upward from beneath which allowed her chin to rest into the supple mounds. She possessed two red dots on her forehead which were barely visible in the lack of light when she raised her head. She cracked open a single eye just wide enough to spot the youth that mentioned her. "Quiet brat...lest we become nine..." she trailed, closing her eye once more as she lowered her head again.

There was an earnest chuckle that filled and the view switched again. This time the focus was on a dimly lit male who sat across from Tsutsuji. "You sure love playing with fire don't you, Kayo? You're one brave gaki; I'll give you that much. What do you think, Katsu...brave, or maybe stupid is the word?" This one asked as he peered down the table.

"What's that, Masa?" the view slid down table again to show another seated among them. "Well, considering how skilled Tsutsuji is with those bone swords and her overall strength, added to the fact that she's one of the strongest among us...I'd have to say stupid. That's saying a lot considering he's Kei's younger brother too. That clan intellect of theirs might be skipping a generation." Katsu joked.

"Hey! I ain't stupid...or weak!" Kayo defended himself. When silence reigned through the room and not even his own brother defended him, he became annoyed. "Haters," he muttered.

"Oi, oi!" A voice called out and suddenly two more figures arrived by shunshins of swirling green water. "What is wrong with all of you? Sister and I could hear your bickering from the entrance." He sighed. "Shape up, this is serious shit here."

A shaded woman was standing beside the speaker as she folded her arms firmly around herself, wearing a hooded cloak like the rest of them. "Eiji-nii is right. This is the last time we will get to be together like this and unfortunately it isn't for bonding. This is our last status update meeting for everyone to provide the latest information on their positions before we go silent. This group can not have any set backs, our home's revitalization and vengeance is on our shoulders."

Everyone seemed to nod at this as they were cowed by the arrival of the red haired, violet eyed siblings who were also the shot callers for this little family. A few muttered their apologies and everything got under way.

"Now, like Kagura-nee said…Let's get started, we'll go around the table starting with the Kuria brothers. Kei, where are your and Kayo's situation with the princess?" Eiji inquired.

Kei stood to speak for he and his younger brother. "The ninja supply and clothing store has been open about a month. The styles and durable fabrics of our clothing is starting to spread through the ninja population in Konoha. Lately, we've gotten personal requests for original work from Konoha's shinobi. We should break even by the end of the second month. The princess likes to visit the store and we've let her use our training facility a few times...she is slow to trust for good reason, but she is opening up to us. We will next try helping her with her skills, but we have yet to reach a comfortable enough standing to speak to her about her burden. Once she feels comfortable letting us assist her and is more willing to speak to us freely, we shall try that next." He bowed and took his seat.

Eiji nodded, but seemed to frown. "That's good news. The Academy year is coming up soon, if you can, try to inform her before its end. The sooner she knows the truth and can show support to our cause, the quicker this movement comes along."

"Hai," both Kei and Kayo responded.

"Nao, where do you stand with your current spying responsibilities?" The sister, Kagura, inquired.

Nao stood up calmly as he was given the floor. "Ah...I have been able to keep tabs on both Tsunade and Jiraiya of the Sanin rather easily." The sleepy sounding male spoke slowly. "Both have become rather complacent. Tsunade simply goes to areas with gambling dens and casinos, natural hot springs, and bars with premium sake. Jiraiya is known for visiting exotic locales for...'inspiration' for his books. Before this meeting I had Tsunade located outside the land of Tea and Jiraiya in the former Hidden Village of Hot Springs. I've recruited a young freelance Ronin to help me cover ground between the two better." He finished slowly.

"Good, keep up the good work there; just be careful whom you're trusting as well. Those two we will have use for, so be sure to keep up with them." Kagura informed as Nao nodded and returned to his seat with a bow. "Sakaeru, what about you?"

"Sadly I have nothing new to report. Besides doing my best to hinder Gato's human trafficking operation from inside by working for him to better able destroy his slave dens, all is the usual. He has hired a few ninja, but I've yet to meet them and find out who they are." The sultry Sakaeru informed.

"Masa, you're next. What is news out of the new Hidden Sound?" Eiji inquired.

"That Orochimaru never stops scheming. Kei and Kayo should move things along with the princess. I don't know how successful he can be, but the Snake Sannin has some sort of plan to ally with Sunagakure. He also plans to enter Sound-nin in the Chunin Exams later this year. I don't have a lot of information yet, but he could try to destroy the leaf with the help of Suna." Masa said from his end.

"Are you still not close enough to him?" Kagura inquired.

Masa seemed to sigh. "I think I'm closer than most. That spy of his, Kabuto, is still in Konoha as Kei and Kayo have been informed. I believe they have been keeping tabs on him. While he's not with Orochimaru, it's either the Sound Four or myself he deals with. The problem isn't my level of involvement, but, that he keeps everything close to the vest. If he goes after Konoha so soon however, it will hinder, if not ruin our mission if I'm right and he succeeds."

Kagura and Eiji seemed to think, but there wasn't much to be done with unconfirmed information. "Keep doing what you're doing, Masa. If you can confirm a Konoha destruction or invasion plan, you know how to get in touch with us. If that comes to fruition we'll have to utilize a contingency plan."

"I'm on it," Masa confirmed.

"Satoru, what of Kumogakure?"

Satoru stood up and shrugged. "I'm pretty entrenched as a trainer in their village due to my unique skillset. They rely on me to help increase the field IQ and overall skill of their Genin and newly promoted Chunin. The current Raikage seems to be concerned with bringing bloodlines into the fold, but not by force like his predecessors. I'm still on probation for another two months, I figure that I will be entrusted with village secrets by then or at least used more in a manner helpful to us. However, be warned. It is true, Kumo is still a highly militarized village."

"Katsu...you're still breathing...This is good news." Eiji spoke up suddenly.

"Hai, I've passed all the tests and background checks that the Akatsuki likes to perform on their recruits. I have my initiation meeting in a few days, but I've already been determined as an A class missing-nin thanks to you and sis. I pass that test and I'll be brought in as a true member. Other than that, most of the regular recruits are treated as pawns and I've no information on their members as of yet. On that note, I need to be going...they have this weird fucking...I guess it's a man, but he can travel through the ground and merge with nature. He just looks so awkward, he's more like a creation. Anyway, It's pretty difficult to get away from as he's a spy, and he's been used to communicate between me and the group. I've been here long enough." Katsu finished, almost nervously, before his image faded away into nothing.

"Godspeed..." Everyone seemed to offer up a silent prayer in that instant. None of them knew very much about the Akatsuki except for that they were all rumored to be S-rank ninja and there was evidence they had destroyed large cities on their own.

The risk to the group was inherent, but the family making up Team Uzushio felt they had to have one of them on the inside to be sure that their mission did not interfere with their means. Katsu had been the only one to volunteer, no one wanted to risk their lives before their purpose could even begin.

"Tsutsuji is still on standby. Eiji and I will be traveling between Wave, Mist, and Whirlpool at any given time. We will continue to make sure our home doesn't suffer any raiding attempts and that no one gets the idea to go there. I do not care if they just want to vacation or look. The bloodline purge is raging on in Mist as well, but things have seem to have come to an impasse temporarily. Gato is trying to encroach on Wave, but hopefully Sakaeru's actions will distract him and continue to slow down his movements." Kagura paused. "If not...we may have to let Wave endure the depression Gato's strong-arm tactics will cause if the timing is not right."

"My sister speaks the truth, so let's hope for a free breaks our way early on. Know that not everything can go our way, but how we start off will set the tone for our mission. Remember why we're doing this...for the Uzumaki, for the other Uzushio clans, for our countries betrayal at Konoha's hands...for the princess that they mistreated, who has a greater future than any of us can comprehend." Eiji announced confidently.

"Everyone get back to it and let's be safe, but be aggressive." Kagura dismissed everyone.

After a unison of 'Hai', everyone at the table seemed to fade away just as Katsu had. This left just Eiji and Kagura behind.

"We need to blow this place now." Kagura frowned while looking around.

Eiji looked at the dim visage of his sister and smiled reassuringly. "I already placed the Uzumaki implosion seals around the area. Once we leave, this place will turn in on itself, and no one will ever know."

Kagura nodded, but sighed. "It took us years to find all those still alive from Whirlpool's destruction, more years to get all of them on the same page. Do you think we will be justified?"

Eiji raised both his brows and grinned not believing what he was hearing. "Do I hear doubt in your voice? No way, no way."

"I'm serious, Eiji!" Kagura scowled and punched her brother in the arm.

"Ha-ha, you ain't serious...you're just a hot blooded Uzumaki woman. Legendary mood swings is in the DNA!" He exclaimed.

The temperature in the cavern dropped immediately and Eiji took a step back. "You really should value yourself more as the last full blooded, male Uzumaki on this planet brother...I'll kill you."

Eiji looked her up and down curiously. "I guess we'll be putting our special, private moments on hold…I smell blood coming from you nee-chan." He grinned toothily.

"That's it!" Kagura yelled and went to attack.

However, Eiji disappeared in a shunshin of green swirling waters before the red headed woman could get her hands on the man. "I know where you live!" She called and followed suit in a shunshin of the very same style.

Once both of them disappeared from the cavern, seals that hadn't been visible before started to glow and writhe across the ground. The area filled with a blinding light before disappearing all together, leaving a hollow spot in the mountain it had been created in.

Iruka Umino glanced at the very back of his classroom as he continued his lecture. He was trying to keep a close eye on the most unique student of his teaching career to date.

This unique student of his was a blonde haired girl with pigtails at either side of the back of her head ending waist length. The young girl's blonde bangs spiked jaggedly above her eyes and narrowly closed in upon either side of her round, tanned, whisker marked face.

Iruka started to frown and folded his arms over his chest. She rolled her blue and violet eyes, once again noticing he was watching her. She chose to turn her head away, looking outside via the classroom window as she sat to herself at the back of the room.

Iruka quit his speech short and the class remained silent as he turned to go behind his desk to retrieve a chalkboard eraser. Meanwhile, noticing what was taking place, some of the students turned in their seats to peer back at the lonesome blonde. Iruka stepped back around his desk and prepared to throw the eraser at her.

"Naruko Uzumaki, pay attention damn it!" The Chunin instructor yelled and chucked the chalky eraser at the unconcerned teen. As the object flew through the air, many of the students plus Mizuki, who also stood at the front of class prepared themselves for a laugh. However...

Listlessly, the blonde held her right hand up and caught the eraser; a soft thump heard from the action as it met her hand. The class filled with small gasps of surprise and Mizuki was seething in a show of pettiness.

Naruko growled under her breath, but schooled her emotions like she'd been taught. She cut her kitsune like eyes upon her sensei having not been looking when she caught the chalk brush. A vibrant ocean blue eye in the right socket and a dim violet orb in the left socket took the man in evenly.

She sighed in what seemed like disappointment, which it was. She was no longer ignorant to the atmosphere of general dislike and loathing that was often cast upon her by those of her home village; a term She used loosely. She had thought Iruka-sensei above such trivialities but she was steadily becoming unsure about that.

"Please don't throw things at me, Iruka-sensei." She said softly as she easily tossed it back to the surprised Chunin instructor.

He fumbled with the chalk eraser before finally getting a hold of it. Frowning as he crossed his arms over his chest, he scolded her. "Then pay attention. If Academy protocol hadn't changed to include a fourth academic year, you would not be passing at all!"

Naruko tilted her head just slightly, blinking in a bemused fashion. It seemed as if he were wanting to embarrass her, but she let the careless words slide down her back.

A fourth academic year had been instituted due to the insistent advice of some of the ninja council. Due to their living in rather peaceful times Konoha scaled back on forty-five percent of the curriculum utilized during war time. However, it was decided to add ten percent more education to Academy lessons as Genin were under prepared for the real world as ninja.

It was also done to help decrease their Genin mortality rate, which had jumped from five percent to fifteen percent over the last three years. Genin hopefuls now had to know the Academy Three jutsu, tree walking, and one non-elemental D-rank jutsu or technique. Basic Kunai fighting skills was also introduced along with one additional type of chakra control exercise.

Teaching elemental jutsu and advanced fighting skills to Academy students was a big no go despite the Academy Standard taijutsu style being reinforced with a few more movements. There were some discreet exceptions. Those from clans were the best example, then there was 'pre-pay sensei's'. Such as Sasuke Uchiha, who used his clan inheritance to help pay Jonin shinobi to teach him advanced skills.

The Academy was now at the end of their tenth month. Here, a three week break would take place then one month and one week more would lead the students into graduating from the Academy. Tomorrow would be exams where each student would be required to perform the Academy Three plus the D-rank non-elemental jutsu they had chosen to learn, of which there were three to choose from.

If a student failed, they had to attend remedial lessons over the course of the break until they got it right. If a student still wasn't ready by the time the Academy break ended, they couldn't attend the last part of learning and would have to wait until next year and start over.

Iruka still had his arms crossed as he stared up at Naruko. "That wanton attitude...I hope you're ready for Pre-exams come tomorrow." The school bell rang, signifying the end of the day.

"Everyone get some rest and be ready for tomorrow! You know what happens if you don't have a good showing," Iruka called out as the students began to file out. A few groans followed.

"Man, talk about troublesome." Complained a student with his black hair pulled into a stiff ponytail.

"I heard that Shikamaru." Iruka said after him, who then looked up, not having seen Naruko leaving, but her seat was empty anyway. "Damn," he muttered.

"Don't worry about that brat, Iruka. She'll get what's coming to her soon enough." Mizuki said while patting him on the back and Iruka had to fight not to flinch.

"What do you mean?" Iruka inquired. He'd never hated Naruko, not truly, but he was still coming to the realization that she was just another child; similar to him in that they both were orphans.

Mizuki just grinned in an oily manner, shooting Iruka a wink before turning out of the classroom.

Iruka just stood there as he felt a chill run the course of his spine.

Naruko fisted her hands within the pockets of her baggy black sweatpants with orange swirl designs decorating the cloth as she swiftly left Academy grounds. She ignored the other students being greeted by their parents that came to escort their kids home while glaring at the ground as they glared at her; whispering scornful things they thought she couldn't hear. Why couldn't they just let her be?

She caught that snooty bastard, Sasuke Uchiha, being met by a ninja who looked like a Jonin. She raised her head a bit more when she saw Sasuke handing the kunoichi a grip of ryo. She then pulled out a medium sized scroll and after looking around discreetly she handed it to the Uchiha.

The blonde, pig-tail wearing girl couldn't help scowling at what she'd just seen; she knew what that scene was all about.

"That little..." she began muttering on it, but stopped short when her stomach growled at her. She sighed and felt for the zipper pocket on the side of her pants and unzipped it, reaching inside to check her cash flow, and sighed. "It's gone stay like this, isn't it?" She asked no one as she continued walking to the Market District with plans for getting something to eat.

"Almost there..." Naruko groaned with an assortment of ramen dishes on the brain. She realized she could only afford two bowls, which she lamented, trying to decide which two dishes she would order. Traveling with her head down and her eyes averted so she didn't have to see all the glares sent her way, she soon noticed a shadow beginning to loom over her causing her to stop in her tracks..."Why are you following me?!" She yelled and turned to address the person she'd sensed trailing her for the last five minutes; only to recognize her follower.

"Yo princess, what ya know?" A male youth asked as Naruko looked at him skeptically. He stood shy of six feet with a light brown skin complexion, rare in Konoha, and steel-blue hair wildly covering either side of his head. Most interesting was his silver eyes which studied her closely. He wore a Konoha hitai-ite around his neck. He had on a black long-sleeve top with a high-collar that stopped below his chin with very long sleeves; It was worn unbuttoned and open over a protective, red mesh top common with most ninja. A pair of baggy brown pants lined with scrolls on either leg and red styled shoes instead of sandals finished his attire.

Naruko's right eye twitched a little. "Why do you always call me that? It's irritating, plus I'm nothing like a princess!" She argued at the older boy who just seemed to smile; amused by her response.

"Because you're special, you just don't see it yet." He winked. "What's going though, you getting a bite to eat?" He inquired, leaning towards her.

The blonde girl frowned at her stalker before sighing. "Why do you care, Kayo-san?" She finally asked; revealing his name as she relented to his advances.

The older teen, Kayo, just gave a slight shrug. "Well, I was on my way to get some lunch myself...and I always see you eating at that ramen stand down the way..."

"Ichiraku's," Naruko interrupted.

Kayo blinked and then smiled. "Right, Ichiraku's, but you're trying to be a ninja and ramen can't be the only thing that you ever eat." The young male nodded behind his words.

Naruko frowned and her hands went to her small hips. "Oh yeah, and what would you suggest?" She asked, deciding not to mention how it was the only restaurant she was allowed in. Big mistake.

"Glad you asked!" Kayo responded with a keen smile as his silver eyes lit up. "Let's go, I'll show you!" He said quickly and took the blonde's small hand into his so he could lead her.

"Here we are. This place has really good food and a variety of it. Plus, it's really hospitable." Kayo informed.

Naruko looked up at the restaurant's awning to see the name 'Konoha Dango and Treats'. She felt Kayo leading her inside and...she immediately tried to pull away.

Secretly, Kayo knew why the blonde girl was hesitant to go inside, but she didn't know that he knew. "Why are you pulling away? Let's go in already!" He continued pulling her inside.

Naruko's eyes were wide with what looked like fear and anxiety. She increased her struggles as they passed the threshold and actually entered the establishment. She looked passed Kayo and could see the owner standing behind the kitchen with narrowed eyes looking her way.

"No-nothing! I'd just...I want ramen instead!" Naruko yelled. She saw that the owner was now walking their way and her eyes grew big. "No, please! You don't understand." She tried to reason.

The owner was right by them now. Seeing that Kayo wouldn't let her go, she chose to make herself small next to him. In hopes of not being noticed.

"Kuria-san...Kuria Kayo-san?" The owner asked as he pat Kayo on the shoulder and the two exchanged words.

"How many times I gotta tell ya? Just call me Kayo, Itamae-san." Kayo grumbled.

The chef just laughed and pat Kayo roughly on his shoulder, nearly causing the youth to lose his footing. The owner was a bald, clean shaven, short and burly middle-aged man wearing a black cooking apron covered in flower. Beneath the apron he wore a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled back to his large forearms and plain black pants with black non-slip sandals on his large feet. He also wore a small, round black hat with the restaurant's name that signified him as the chef of the establishment.

"Someone sounds grumpy...how about a plate of Dango and some sake on the house, to get ya started?" Itamae-san chuckled, knowing Kayo wouldn't turn it down.

"Fine," Kayo grumbled.

That was when the owner took note of Naruko, who was trying to hide herself behind Kayo while making herself small. Itamae-san smiled broadly. "...And who is this cute little blonde you have with you? I didn't know you were a Lolicon, Kayo-san." The man laughed again.

"What did you say?! I'm not a...damn it, never mind that. This is the special girl I said I wanted you to meet. Naruko-chan, remember old man?" Kayo said while giving him a 'you know who' sort of look.

"Ara? O-ohh, this is the young girl you said was going to be a kunoichi soon!" Itamae-san leaned toward Naruko with a smile while the blonde looked between him and Kayo skeptically as both men smiled at her. "It's very nice to meet a promising young kunoichi, like yourself! So, how long before you graduate from the ninja academy?" Itamae-san inquired.

Naruko blinked and slowly began to stand straight as she didn't sense any of the usual malice she received from her many haters. She was still cautious however and her face said as much. "Um...about a month, s-sir." She eventually answered.

The owner nodded. "I see, I'm sure you'll do well when it's time. Any friend of Kayo-san and Kei-san is a friend of mine. So, when you graduate come see me and I'll give you a free meal in celebration. Kayo-san mentioned you loved ramen, but we have some pretty tasty food here, if I do say so myself." Itamae-san bragged.

Naruko just nodded silently to the man and Kayo began to lead her away. "Alright old man, we'll be sitting in the usual spot. Go make our food already!"

"Ok, ok," Itamae-san chuckled and went back to the kitchen.

It wasn't long before a few plates full of dango with some sake for Kayo was brought out for their booth seat with a window view outside. Naruko was slightly surprised that she had found another place she could go to without being kicked out, which she was thankful for.

Kayo finished off his first stick of dango and used the rice ball skewer to pick this teeth with. As he did, he noticed Naruko looking across the table at him and then down to her lap. Also noticing she was eating slowly, slower than normal, he decided he couldn't take it anymore.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's on ya mind, princess?" He asked the blonde as he lifted another dango stick from one of the plates.

"Ano..." Naruko looked up...and Kayo's second eyebrow lifted with the first when he noticed the slight blush on her whisker marked cheeks. "Well...where is your imouto...will he be at the store today?" Her blush deepened a scooch when Kayo began to chuckle.

"Right...almost forgot she has a bit of a crush on big bro. I can't blame her, Kei has that perfect image thing going for him." He thought.

"Normally he would be running the store, however…It's likely he may not be around for a day or two." He shrugged.

Naruko looked disappointed as her blush faded. "O-oh...how come?" She hesitantly asked next.

Kayo looked at her closely, seriously; almost causing the blonde to blush again because he was staring. "Hmm, all I know is that he's dealing with an assignment of some sort, and told me not to wait up for him for at least two days."

"I see," Naruko held back her sigh and began eating the dango she'd been treated to before it was all eaten by Kayo. So far, she was finding the dango to be a tasty treat.

Kayo sat back and chose to drink a bit of the sake. He watched her mannerisms for a few silent moments. He wondered. "She's opened up a little. Before, she wouldn't have cared enough to ask personal questions." He thought.

"Kayo-san?" The kunoichi hopeful spoke again after finishing two full sticks of dango within half a minute.

He nodded. "What's up?"

"Are all the scrolls attached to your pant legs useful, or are they blank?" Naruko asked.

Kayo blinked. Definitely progress. "All the scrolls on my right leg are battle scrolls of varying classes and techniques...half the scrolls on my left leg are used for storage and the other half are blank. Fourteen in all." He smirked and decided to play ignorant. "Why do you ask?"

This time Naruko sighed. "Kei-san said he could help me and I need some advice on mastering the Scroll Throwing Technique and the Bunshin no Jutsu for the Academy pre-test tomorrow." The blonde explained.

"Oh," Kayo nodded. "It's too bad that brother won't be around for a few days then..." He trailed off.

A civilian customer was walking by their table and had overheard Naruko speaking about the Academy exam. "Good," he sneered, "we don't need-hey!" He yelped.

Kayo had stood up from the booth and taken the man's plate of dango right off his tray. He threatened the man with his silver eyes alone, able to see himself being choked to death in Kayo's cat like pupils as killing intent surrounded and choked him, keeping him from saying another word.

"That's what I thought, get your ignorant, pathetic self out of my face." The man didn't even nod, he just turned and ran, nearly pissing himself. He would have if Kayo hadn't been considerate of the people working the restaurant that would have to clean the mess.

Kayo sighed as he released the killing intent and Naruko shook her head. "You didn't need-."

"Don't give me that. When people get out of line you have to remind them of their place, remember that Naruko." He smoothed out his clothing then smirked. "Now...let's move, we'll take this dango to go." He put some money down on the table as a tip and finished his saucer of sake.

"Go...where?" The blonde jinchuriki inquired as she pondered his words.

"We're going to the shop...I'm gonna help you get those techniques under your belt. I'm way better with scroll techniques than big brother, even if he's stronger than me." He smiled. "This is your road to becoming a legend and it's just the beginning… No way I'll let you fail here." Kayo winked and called for some takeout bags.

Naruko's eyes widened in awe at Kayo momentarily as she felt herself filled with excited motivation for the show of support. Something in him saying she'd become a legend filled her with hope and as she looked at him Naruko could tell he'd meant it.


End file.
